The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first society of people to make New Year's resolutions, and this was around 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold official celebrations in honor of the New Year. For this particular tribe, the year did not begin in January, but in mid -March, when the crops were planted.
During large twelve-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians would crown a new king, or pledge their loyalty to the current king. They also made promises to the gods that they would pay off all their debts and return items they had borrowed. These promises were considered New Year's resolutions. For ancient Christians, the first day of the new year would become a time of reflection.
The concept of New Year's Eve can be traced to around 2000 B. C, in Mesopotamia. During this time, the new year would not start in January but in March because the ancient Roman calendar was what they were using to calculate the new year. The concept of new year's eve can be likened to an eleven-day event that the people of that time would participate in to celebrate the end of a year.
Different kinds of rituals would be performed during the festival, and there would always be a time to celebrate Marduk, the sky god who defeated the sea goddess known as Tiamat. Mesopotamian people would also use the period to decide if they still want their old king to continue his reign, or whether to crown a new one. New year's eve is one of the most celebrated days throughout the world. To many people, it is a special day to reflect back on their actions, achievements, and other things that they have been able to do since the beginning of the year.